Collier County adding tools to shut down the 'business' of fentanyl

In the past five years, one of the most deadly businesses in Collier County has grown exponentially, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said Wednesday, while blurring the lines of authentic, legal drugs.

"So drug trafficking is a business," he said. "And you know, its manufacture, its distribution. It is the sale of illegal drugs, really throughout the world, but particularly in the United States, in Collier County."

He is offering several phases in fighting in the influx of the drugs, including education, legislative components, first aid, protection and enforcement.

The Sheriff's Office counted 107 arrests in Collier County from May through August during what he called "Operation Summer Blaze" targeting opioid dealers, and netting more than 5 pounds of fentanyl, more than 5 pounds of cocaine, and 1.7 pounds of methamphetamine.

"So, if we keep in mind that two grains of salt in the amount of fentanyl will kill, you can imagine what the impact could have been throughout our community," Rambosk said. "So removing 5 pounds of fentanyl from this community is a significant achievement."

He noted that, compared to initial figures from 2022, the non-fatal overdoses in Collier County fell by a third during the four months his teams ran the operation.

He said during the past 20 years, the number of overdose deaths have increased across Southwest Florida. He noted three years of data: 2019, 2020 and 2021, the latest years for complete data, pointing to a chart. Those three years, overdose deaths totaled 92, 96 and 126 respectively; with those related to fentanyl accounting for about two-thirds those deaths each year: 63, 69 and 96.

"But the interesting thing is, the first column is a total of all accidental overdoses," he said. "The second column is a total with fentanyl related overdoses ― this column four to five years ago was not there. And that's the troubling part. Because fentanyl wasn't here. In fact, our detectives first started to find fentanyl appearing in about 2019 and started tracking it from there."

Success on the fentanyl battlefields

Rambosk cited a combination of his enforcement efforts for the recent apparent success in reducing deaths: targeted enforcement effort, increased availability of Narcan.

"And of course, the great work of all of our firefighters and EMS personnel who helped to save lives each and every day," the sheriff said.

The drug Narcan is an antidote to the fentanyl overdoses and every deputy carries it on duty.

"They've made hundreds of saves over the last several years from Narcan," Rambosk said.

As for the emergency medical worker and firefighters, he said they are getting to people quicker.

"We're maintaining (those overdosing) to the point they can get to be transported to the hospital, and they have done a fabulous job," he said.

How does fentanyl get to Collier County?

Rambosk showed how the powerful opioid fentanyl flows throughout the world, mostly originating in China, going to Mexico or Canada for additional processing, then heading into the U.S.

"And we typically see primary hubs, one being as far as Atlanta, one being in Miami, and that's where distribution either to or through Collier County occurs ― obviously, I-75, and the corridor from Miami, and then turning to the north, U.S. 41," he said.

Like other businesses, though, he points out that other forms of distribution are possible for the product.

"... The other thing that we're seeing is mail drug transportation, so they're using mailing services, go to the dark web, order what it is that you want, and then it comes into the county through a particular mail service."

Fentanyl disguised as legitimate pills

Rambosk cited one of the largest fentanyl seizures in the history of Collier County: 10,000 fentanyl pills weighing a total of 2 pounds during a search of a home. He said they were disguised as oxycodone pills.

In six instances, deputies from May 26 to June 27, bought more than 10,000 pills for more than $100,000, court records indicate, arresting Joseline Pech Arcos, 23, and her husband, Angel Pablo Soccoro Blanco, 35, of Naples on June 27.

They account for two of the 107 arrests.

During a search of the couple's home, detectives seized another 10,634 fentanyl-laced pills, the arrest affidavit states.

Pech Arcos pleaded not guilty on July 27 with a case management conference set for Sept. 21. Soccoro Blanco's charges and status weren't immediately accessible through court records. They both remained in the Collier County Jail on Wednesday.

Court records indicated the blue and green pills were separated into packages

"We've got a picture of illicit pills that were made from a pill press and those that were purchased from a pharmacy," he said. "One of the unique things about this is if you look at the pharmacy-purchased pills, they're not quite even looking as good as the false pill pressed pill."

"So if you or a friend or a parent are looking at what you think, is a pharma-made pill, you might be surprised because they're looking way too good for for that purpose."

But what about other synthetic drugs?

While seeing more and more fentanyl, Rambosk said other synthetic drugs ― in particular the veterinary sedative xylazine ― are on the rise.

Narcan doesn't work for most other synthetics, so he said he is equipping deputies with other tools.

"Effective today we are issuing some new equipment and these are devices to assist breathing. So if a deputy responds ... we still have a way to keep providing first aid until we can get our fire rescue/EMS there to help us."

A comprehensive plan to fight drug abuses

Rambosk also is taking his comprehensive plans to the Legislature.

"I am seeking legislation that protects those who protect us ― that's first responders," he said. "If in the midst of your drug dealing, you intentionally deliberately possess fentanyl and physical harm comes to a first responder, we're asking that that be a separate and complete charge to be added in to the mere possession or trafficking.

The next legislative session is set for January.

Last week, Rambosk announced the Laced and Lethal initiative that is collecting monetary donations and involving educational components.

Visual journalist Jonah Hinebaugh contributed to this report.

Stacey Henson is the breaking new and visuals editor for the Naples Daily News and Fort Myers News-Press. You may reach her at shenson@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Collier County crackdown on fentanyl deaths 107 arrested over summer